


bide my time bite my tongue

by orphan_account



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Character Study, Haruno Sakura-centric, IN THE ARM, Kinda, and salty Sakura wasn't there during the momoshiki fight, im just really bad at this lmao, or any fight other than the shin one, where they completely nerfed her when she got stabbed by a singular knife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:54:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27649853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Over the years, Sakura had done her share of waiting. Waiting for Sasuke on a deserted path in the middle of the night, waiting for Naruto to fulfill a promise that was far too much of a burden for his small twelve year old shoulders, waiting for backup where she should've been able to handle herself, always waiting for somebody to help her.After a while, Sakura had gotten tired of it, tired of waiting for somebody to fix all her problems, and gets stronger. It wasn't enough, still isn't with every fight and issue that Naruto and Sasuke throw themselves into, always covering each other's back and making no space for Sakura to fit in. So she goes back to waiting, just now with glowing hands and scoldings that taste like ash on her tongue.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	bide my time bite my tongue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kinda falling in love w writing bad oneshots that barely anyone reads and anything past 1k kills me to write rn so however reads this hope u enjoy.

Over the years, Sakura had done her share of waiting. Waiting for Sasuke on a deserted path in the middle of the night, waiting for Naruto to fulfill a promise that was far too much of a burden for his small twelve year old shoulders, waiting for backup where she should've been able to handle herself, always waiting for somebody to help her. 

After a while, Sakura had gotten tired of it, tired of waiting for somebody to fix all her problems, and gets stronger. It wasn't enough, still isn't with every fight and issue that Naruto and Sasuke throw themselves into, always covering each other's back and making no space for Sakura to fit in. So she goes back to waiting, just now with glowing hands and scoldings that taste like ash on her tongue. 

Perhaps she would have gotten tired of this role, this song and dance where everybody moves to the tune of the wind while Sakura is stuck to the ground with hands as heavy as the boulders she carelessly destroys, but Sakura had years of experience with patience. Waiting and watching from a training ground, a village gate, a battlefield; they all blur together and Sakura had nothing but the steady beating of her heart to count. 

So when Sakura bullies the information out of Naruto over the phone, and waits for her daughter at the train station, anxiously wringing her fingers together, she does not feel nostalgia. She only feels an empty sort of acceptance, and the steady thump of her heart. 

Her hands are a mess after all those years, patchy and calloused and worn to the bone. Scars litter her hands that Sakura knows she can heal; tiny half-moon crescents from digging her fingers into her palms, strips and patches of skin torn off by sharpened, manicured nails, and hard earned, thick callouses over her knuckles. 

There are some fine white scar lines between the junction of her fingers and palms of her hands, and joints of her fingers. A single point of exit where her bones would slide out of her flesh by a clean snap in the middle of an empty war meetings tent, a hospital room, or familiar red gates. A nasty habit, one that stayed with Sakura over the years, and one that she's made sure to conceal. Fingers are essential to a shinobi, and she would rather not have a reputation of being a bone breaker. 

Still, it's a habit that Sakura had been clean of for a while, and she'd rather not do it so publicly in front of civilians. So she unclasps her hands and smooths down her skirt, and waits. 

The thunder train needs thirty more minutes to arrive, but Sakura has been playing this game against time for years, and breathes her way through the panic and relief. 

Relief that her daughter is safe and healthy, that her teammates are with her, but primarily relief that Sarada did not take after her in the worst ways. Where Sakura hesitated years ago, Sarada struck, and where Sakura clasped her pretty soft hands together and waited, Sarada deftly made signs for jutsus and charged. 

Sakura breathes and relives, maps out each action and path she could've have taken, and swallows the regret clawing it's way up her throat.

The thunder train arrives, far too early yet so late, and Sakura shoves down any lingering emotions. She makes her way towards the gaggle of young genin, no Boruto or Sarada in sight, with glowing hands as concerns paints her face. 

She heals them, tiny faces blurring together, and sends them off with a wave. She does not feel nostalgic as she watches their retreating backs, and remembers the sight of two cloaks, white and black contrasting each other, billowing while she stands back and heals and waits. 

Sakura finds Sarada and Boruto nearly picking a fight with Sai while Mitsuki stands by quietly. She shoves past a couple of guards and grabs all three genin into a bone crushing hug. The ground feels familiar under her knees and Sakura repeats the words she'd been saying since her childhood, a well worn script of reprimands and scolding and relief. 

_Thank goodness. What were you thinking. I'm glad you're safe._

Sakura exhales around the sniffling genin in her arms and heals their wounds. Wraps bandages and clears away bruises and brushes away tears. Her smile is well worn as she sends them away again as her heart clenches and waits. 

**Author's Note:**

> forever sad we don't get to see more Sakura fights. and ik its Boruto's show but they keep nerfing older character for Boruto's development (Kurotsuchi not a day goes where I don't mourn what they did to u) so fuck canon I say.


End file.
